One Enchanted Evening
by ckorkows
Summary: A new Sydney/Gage one-shot. Our favorite Rangers are out for a night to an Officer's Gala. A little meddling, a very nice dress, and some George Straight make for an interesting night.


**One Enchanted Evening**

Gage was in the middle of a conversation with Walker and Trivette when the car pulled up. It wasn't actually the arrival of the car that had Gage dropping into silence in the middle of a joke but the woman who was carefully unfolding herself from its depths.

Sydney Cooke emerged from the car like a fairy tale vision. She wore a pale, shimmering dress that hugged her curves briefly before flowing away from her body in soft waves. Her chestnut hair was piled in curls upon the top of her head, crystal pins glittering in the gentle piles. Soft tendrils that may have escaped the pins or may have been left out by design drifted gently around her face, highlighting her dark almond eyes and pink-painted, newly sensuous lips. The slight flush and look of uncertainty that clouded the female Ranger's face only served to enhance her beauty.

Gage's lower jaw hit the floor. As Walker and Trivette turned to find themselves staring at a completely re-made Sydney, Gage's feet were pulling him forward, his hand reaching out to hers so that he could help her away from the curb. Sydney smiled up at her partner, his simple presence reducing her nerves, and took his hand.

Clearing his throat, Gage lifted his partner's hand to his lips, charming her with his gesture as he thought of something, anything, to say to this new creature.

Alex and Erika popped out of the car like overexcited teenagers, nearly bumping into the couple on the curb. Sending one another a secret smile behind Sydney's back, they flanked their friend and gave Gage disapproving stares.

Alex started on him, "Gage, have you told Sydney how lovely she is this evening?"

Gage licked his lips, shaking his head but opening his mouth in preparation to do just that. Unfortunately Erika interrupted him before he could even start.

"And why are we still standing by the car? It is getting chilly out here. Why don't you escort Sydney into the gala? We'll be right along."

Sydney opened her mouth to interject, but was just as speechless as her partner. The tux that Gage wore only served to emphasize his broad chest and shoulders, making him look even bigger and handsomer than usual, and the way he stared at her was intoxicating.

Alex filled the silence, "Goodness Gage, have you lost all sense of grace? At least give her your jacket if you're going to stand here. And make sure that you two make it in for dinner," Alex softened a little as the baffled expressions on her friends' faces became too much, "I know that's always your favorite part"

As quickly as they had arrived they disappeared, passing on either side of the Junior Rangers to approach their grinning husbands. Walker reached for his wife's hand and shook his head at her, "That wasn't very nice."

Trivette nodded, wrapping his arm around his own wife, "Or subtle."

Alex shrugged her shoulders, looking anywhere but into those clear blue eyes of her too-perceptive husband, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Walker rolled his eyes, "Uh huh," and glanced back at his Junior Rangers, a feeling of pity filling him. When Alex – and now Erika – set their minds to something you didn't have a chance.

Trivette leaned toward his partner, unable to contain his humor at their wives' antics, "They could have given C.D. a run for his money."

Sydney waited for Gage to do something. Something other than hold her hand to his chest and stare at her like that. Her stomach was flooded with warmth at the gently appreciative look in her partner's eyes and she wasn't sure if she liked the feeling or not. When Gage did nothing but stare at her with that warm expression on his face, Sydney tugged gently on his hand and tilted her head, needing to break the sudden tension that zipped between them.

"Alex is right Gage, you ordered beef wellington and it would really be a shame to miss out on stealing a piece from your plate."

Gage's smile erupted into a broad grin and he tugged at his partner's hand, laying it gently on his forearm as he led the way into the Officers gala. "You're right Syd. That always is the highlight of the evening."

Sydney felt her heart drop and mentally scolded herself for it. For a moment there she'd thought that maybe, just maybe, Gage had been genuinely awed by her. As her partner drew her closer to the dinner table she forced herself to smile brilliantly, ignoring the feelings of disappointment that settled into the warmth of her stomach and took root. Logically she knew she shouldn't be feeling this way, but emotions seemed to rule her.

Alex and Erika noticed the shift in mood instantly, that and the dull shine in Sydney's eyes where she couldn't force a smile. Alex sent a glowering look in Gage's direction, how could he have ruined it so quickly? Granted, she and Erika hadn't expected him to be the most debonair man when it came to his partner…but five minutes?

Gage felt the shift too, and kicked himself for it. Here he was holding onto the most beautiful woman in the entire room and he'd basically told her that she was second best to beef wellington. A dish he only ordered because he knew she liked the Filo dough and liver pate. He tried to make up for it by pulling her seat out for her but only received a polite smile instead of the stunning one she'd shared with him out on the curb.

Walker looked at each of the people seated at the table, shaking his head as the salad course arrived. This night, he figured, was only going to get more and more uncomfortable.

He was pretty much correct.

Though the dinner conversation was polite and even pleasant, it lacked the normal banter of the two Junior Rangers. Gage tried to start conversation with his partner, asking her about her dress and how long it took to do her hair, but received only short, pointed answers. The mood around the table slowly melted from jovial to somber as everyone reacted to the tension between Sydney and Gage. By dessert Sydney was feeling totally crummy about giving her partner the cold shoulder and Gage was burning with anger as he thought about his partner's unfair reaction to his stupid statement. Of course, neither of them was ready to break the ice.

When the first song came on Trivette and Walker took the excuse to leave and practically dragged their wives onto the dance floor, leaving the two Junior Rangers behind to hopefully work things out on their own.

Walker quickly maneuvered Alex as far away from their table as possible, keeping his voice low as he started on her, "Alex, you should have let them be."

Alex sighed, leaning her head against her husband's shoulder. She was beginning to think the same thing too.

"I know. I just thought that they needed a little push. Everyone else sees how perfect they are for one another…why can't they?"

Walker smiled against his wife's hair, twirling her across the floor for a moment before responding. "Did you ever think that maybe they're not ready to admit it to themselves?"

Alex frowned. She spent a good deal of time with Sydney and she knew that her friend never spent so much time with any of her passing romances as she did with her handsome Ranger partner. They had to know they were in love.

"Do you think we ruined it?"

Walker shook his head, tossing a cursory glance over at the table where Gage and Sydney were purposely looking anywhere but at one another. "No. I think you might have actually pushed them into their first makeup. Just don't push anymore."

Alex smiled, lifting her face to stare into those all-knowing blue eyes, "I promise," she let the words breathe across her husband's mouth before settling her lips upon his with a contented sigh. This, she thought as she leaned into the kiss, is what she wanted for her two friends.

Sydney sat facing the dance floor, unconsciously swaying in time with the music as she mentally berated herself. Of course Gage thought she was lovely, it just would have sounded stupid after Alex told him to tell her that. And of course he didn't mean to imply that beef wellington was better than her company - he meant compared to the dancing and awards speeches. The female Ranger raised a hand to twirl a loose tendril of hair absently as she thought of the best way to apologize for her childish behavior.

Gage took a deep breath and glanced at his partner. Her back was to him and he trailed the low V back of her dress to where it dipped just above her hips, silently appreciating the stretch of smooth skin that was left bare. His fingers itched to traverse that caramel stretch, to soothe and entice. Beef Wellington! Gage pursed his lips and mentally punched a wall, what type of idiot told a woman as amazing as his partner that beef wellington was his favorite part of the night?

Gage shook his head at himself. He still hadn't told her how good she looked. And darn but if she didn't look - a grin threatened to break across the blonde Ranger's face as the word popped into his head – delicious. His humor returned almost instantly and the Junior Ranger decided it was time to get his partner talking to him again. And not just because he didn't think he could survive the boring awards ceremony without her clever, barely audible, comments.

Sydney stiffened when she felt Gage's hands on her shoulders. She hadn't felt him invade her space and she had no chance to recover her nerves as the next instant his breath was tickling her hair and he whispered, in that deep voice he got sometimes, into her ear.

"You know, I don't think you're lovely."

Sydney's heart dropped and she gasped. That was not what she thought he was going to say. An angry retort got lost on her lips as her heart sank completely.

Gage waited for the gasp, that horror-filled intake of breath spurring him on to complete his thought, "I think you are the most radiant woman in the room. Maybe even in the world, just don't tell Julie."

Sydney smiled, a soft laugh escaping her even as she felt a curl of femininity and sexuality spiral up within her. For a moment she soaked in the feeling of his hands on her, his breath caressing the back of her neck. It was far too intimate, but exactly what she wanted.

She murmured quietly, "You didn't have to tell me that."

Gage smiled, rubbing his thumbs along shoulders that he had touched more times than he could count, the simple gesture making his heart beat just a little faster.

"No, but I wanted to."

Sydney blushed, "Thank you."

Gage glanced at the crowded dance floor and prayed for a slow song. He could lead Sydney around for a fast one but it wasn't pretty. Besides, he smiled to himself, he'd much rather hold Sydney close to him. That would give his hands an opportunity to skim the smooth skin of her bared back without seeming crude.

Luck, or some innocuous meddling, was on their side and George Strait's, _I Just Wanna Dance with You_, pulsed out of the speakers. Sydney was surprised when Gage's hands dropped from her shoulders and he reached for her hand, still bending over her shoulder.

"Dance with me?"

Sydney nodded, her blush brightening her cheeks as she boldly stood up and led the way onto the dance floor, her handsome partner trailing behind her. When Gage felt they'd gone far enough into the throng of swaying couples he tugged on his partner's hand, effectively spinning her into his embrace in a way that made both of them grin. He wrapped his arms around her and let his chin rest on the unbelievably soft pile of curls atop his partner's head. They both settled into a comfortable sway.

Walker nudged Alex's head off his shoulder and jerked his head toward the Junior Rangers, barely succeeding in keeping his face passive as Alex broke into a wide grin and squeezed her husband excitedly.

"Oh Walker, you were right, they did make up."

Walker arched his eyebrow and let a smile hang around the corner of his mouth as he pulled his wife back in close to him, "I know. Now will you promise not to meddle with their lives anymore?"

Alex shook her head against the soft cotton of her husband's button up, "You know I can't make promises I can't keep."

Sydney felt Gage's hands drift along the sides of the dress where it met her skin, his fingers sending a tingling down her spine. He twirled her inexpertly around the room, avoiding stomping on her feet only by the grace of God. She let herself completely relax into his embrace.

"You look very handsome tonight, dashing."

The words were almost lost in the fabric of the tux, they were spoken so softly. But Gage heard them, and he pulled his body away from hers just a breath, his hand curling around her chin and tilting it so their eyes met. The words to the song melted in the background and he lowered his head.

"Thank you," whispered across her lips seconds before his kiss did.

_**My first fic in a long time –this one was a little bit gooey if I'm being truly honest. But I think some people (myself included) can deal with gooey when it comes to Sydney and Gage. I hope y'all liked it and as always feel free to review. **_

_**God Bless,**_

_**Ckorkows**_


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